Poem "Travel"
BY
Robert Louis Stevenson
9th class English (FBISE), Chapter 9, Travel and Tourism
National Book Foundation
Original Raddings
I should like to rise and go
Where the golden apples grow;—
Where below another sky
Parrot islands anchored lie,
And, watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
Where in sunshine reaching out
Eastern cities, miles about,
Are with mosque and minaret
Among sandy gardens set,
And the rich goods from near and far
Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
Where the Great Wall round China goes,
And on one side the desert blows,
And with bell and voice and drum,
Cities on the other hum;
Where are forests, hot as fire,
Wide as England, tall as a spire,
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts
And the negro hunters’ huts;—
Where the knotty crocodile
Lies and blinks in the Nile,
And the red flamingo flies
Hunting fish before his eyes;—
Where in jungles, near and far,
Man-devouring tigers are,
Lying close and giving ear
Lest the hunt be drawing near,
Or a comer-by be seen
Swinging in a palanquin;—
Where among the desert sands
Some deserted city stands,
All its children, sweep and prince,
Grown to manhood ages since,
Not a foot in street or house,
Not a stir of child or mouse,
And when kindly falls the night,
In all the town no spark of light.
There I’ll come when I’m a man,
With a camel caravan;
Light a fire in the gloom
Of some dusty dining-room;
See the pictures on the walls,
Heroes, fights, and festivals;
And in a corner find the toys
Of the old Egyptian boys.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 1 line by line:
I should like to rise and go / Where the golden apples grow;
👉 I wish I could get up and travel to wonderful, magical places where special treasures like golden apples grow.
Where below another sky / Parrot islands anchored lie,
👉 To faraway lands under different skies, where islands are full of bright parrots.
And, watched by cockatoos and goats, / Lonely Crusoes building boats;—
👉 Where cockatoos and goats live, and solitary men, like Robinson Crusoe, build boats by themselves.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 1 in a paragraph:
In this stanza the poet wishes he could rise and go to distant lands where magical things grow, like golden apples. He dreams of visiting tropical islands where parrots live, cockatoos perch, goats wander, and lonely sailors, like Robinson Crusoe, build their boats.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 2 line by line:
Where in sunshine reaching out / Eastern cities, miles about,👉 To large Eastern cities that spread widely under the warm sun
Are with mosque and minaret / Among sandy gardens set,
👉 These cities have tall minarets and mosques standing among sandy gardens.
And the rich goods from near and far / Hang for sale in the bazaar;—
👉 Their busy markets (bazaars) are full of valuable goods brought from faraway places.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 2 in a paragraph:
In this stanza the poet imagines great Eastern cities, spread wide under the sun, filled with mosques and tall minarets. These cities have sandy gardens and busy marketplaces, or bazaars, where goods from all over the world are sold.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 3 line by line:
Where the Great Wall round China goes, / And on one side the desert blows,👉 To China, where the Great Wall stretches, with desert winds blowing on one side.
And with bell and voice and drum, / Cities on the other hum;
👉 On the other side, lively cities echo with the sounds of bells, voices, and drums.
Where are forests, hot as fire, / Wide as England, tall as a spire,
👉 Where there are vast forests, as hot as fire, as wide as England, and with trees tall like church spires.
Full of apes and cocoa-nuts / And the negro hunters’ huts;—
👉 These forests are filled with monkeys, coconuts, and the small huts of native hunters.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 3 in a paragraph:
In this stanza the poet thinks of the Great Wall of China, stretching across the land, with a desert on one side and lively cities full of voices, bells, and drums on the other. He also pictures huge, hot forests as large as England, with trees tall as church spires, filled with monkeys, coconuts, and huts of local hunters.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 4 line by line:
Where the knotty crocodile / Lies and blinks in the Nile,👉 Where crocodiles rest lazily on the banks of the Nile River, blinking in the sunlight.
And the red flamingo flies / Hunting fish before his eyes;—
👉 Where red flamingos fly and search for fish in the river.
Where in jungles, near and far, / Man-devouring tigers are,
👉 In nearby and distant jungles, dangerous tigers live.
Lying close and giving ear / Lest the hunt be drawing near,
👉 They lie quietly, listening carefully in case hunters come near.
Or a comer-by be seen / Swinging in a palanquin;—
👉 Or they may watch travellers passing by, carried in palanquins (shoulder-borne carriages).
Paraphrasing of Stanza 4 in a paragraph:
In this stanza the poet imagines the crocodiles resting lazily along the Nile River, while bright red flamingos fly above, searching for fish. He also pictures deep jungles where fierce tigers hide silently, listening carefully for hunters or watching travelers pass by in palanquins (carriages carried by men).
Paraphrasing of Stanza 5 line by line:
Where among the desert sands / Some deserted city stands,👉 In the middle of desert sands, there stands an abandoned city.
All its children, sweep and prince, / Grown to manhood ages since,
👉 All its people, from poor children to princes, grew up long ago and are gone now.
Not a foot in street or house, / Not a stir of child or mouse,
👉 No one lives in its houses or streets—not even a child or a mouse moves there.
And when kindly falls the night, / In all the town no spark of light.
👉 When night falls, the city lies in total darkness, with not a single light shining.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 5 in a paragraph:
In this stanza the poet dreams of lonely desert lands where abandoned cities stand, empty for ages. These cities once had both poor and rich people, but now no one remains. Streets and houses are silent, and when night falls, the whole city lies in complete darkness without a single light.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 6 line by line:
There I’ll come when I’m a man, / With a camel caravan;
👉 The poet dreams that when he grows up, he will travel there with a caravan of camels.
Light a fire in the gloom / Of some dusty dining-room;
👉 He will light a fire inside a dark and dusty dining hall to rest.
See the pictures on the walls, / Heroes, fights, and festivals;
👉 He will look at the pictures painted on the walls, showing heroes, battles, and celebrations.
And in a corner find the toys / Of the old Egyptian boys.
👉 And maybe in a corner, he will discover toys once played with by Egyptian children long ago.
Paraphrasing of Stanza 6 in a paragraph:
Finally, the poet says that when he grows up, he will travel with a caravan of camels to such distant lands. He imagines resting in an old dusty dining room, looking at pictures of heroes and great battles, and finding toys once played with by Egyptian children long ago.
Summary of the poem ' Travel ' by Robert Louis Stevenson:
Summary no. 1.
In this poem, Robert Louis Stevenson describes his childhood dream of exploring the wide and fascinating world. He imagines visiting exotic lands where golden apples grow, parrots and cockatoos live, and lonely sailors build boats. He dreams of wandering through eastern cities filled with mosques, minarets, and bustling bazaars, traveling to China with its Great Wall, exploring hot forests full of apes and hunters, and seeing crocodiles in the Nile or flamingos flying above. He pictures tigers in the jungle, deserted cities in the desert, and ancient places full of mystery. The poet concludes by saying that when he grows up, he wants to travel with a caravan, explore old cities, and discover treasures from past civilizations.
Summary no. 2.
The poem “Travel” is about a child’s dream of seeing the world and all its wonders. The poet imagines visiting faraway lands full of exciting things — golden fruits, colourful birds, busy markets, tall mosques, and the Great Wall of China. He dreams of exploring hot forests with monkeys, watching crocodiles in the Nile, seeing flamingos in the sky, and spotting tigers in the jungle. He also pictures deserts with empty cities and old mysterious places. In the end, he says that when he grows up, he wants to go on real adventures, travel with caravans, and explore ancient cities to find treasures and learn from the past.
Central Idea of the poem ' Travel ' by Robert Louis Stevenson:
The central idea of the poem ' Travel ' written by Robert Louis Stevenson is a child’s deep fascination with adventure and faraway places. Through vivid imagination, the poet shows the curiosity, excitement, and longing to explore the beauty, wonders, and mysteries of the world. The poem reflects how travel broadens the mind, fuels dreams, and inspires a lifelong sense of wonder about different lands and cultures.
Short Answer Questions (3–4 lines each)
Q1. What kind of places does the poet wish to visit?
Ans: The poet wishes to visit faraway, magical places such as islands with golden apples, Eastern cities with mosques and bazaars, forests full of apes and cocoa-nuts, and deserts with old, deserted cities. These places reflect his adventurous imagination.Q2. Who are the “Lonely Crusoes” mentioned in the poem?
Ans: The “Lonely Crusoes” are people living alone on islands, building boats, just like Robinson Crusoe from the famous novel. They represent the poet’s fascination with adventure and survival in distant lands.Q3. What does the poet describe about China?
Ans: The poet mentions the Great Wall of China, stretching across the land, with the desert blowing on one side and busy cities filled with the sounds of bells, voices, and drums on the other.Q4. What animals are mentioned in the poem?
Ans: The poet talks about parrots, cockatoos, goats, apes, crocodiles, flamingos, and man-eating tigers—each adding to the vivid imagery of faraway lands and wild adventures.Q5. What picture of the Nile River does the poet create?
Ans: The poet imagines the Nile with crocodiles lying lazily on its banks and red flamingos flying above it, hunting fish—a scene full of exotic beauty and mystery.Q6. What does the poet say about the deserted city?
Ans: He describes a deserted city buried in sand, where all the people—princes and servants—have vanished long ago, and at night, not a single light shines in the whole town.Q7. What does the poet dream of doing when he grows up?
Ans: The poet dreams of traveling with a camel caravan, lighting a fire in an old house, seeing paintings of heroes and battles, and discovering ancient toys left by Egyptian children.Q8. What is the mood of the poem?
Ans: The mood is one of curiosity, wonder, and longing for adventure. The poet’s imagination takes him to fascinating places filled with mystery and excitement.Long Answer Questions (6–8 lines each)
Q1. Describe how the poem “Travel” shows the poet’s adventurous spirit.
Ans: The poem “Travel” expresses Robert Louis Stevenson’s deep love for adventure and exploration. Through vivid descriptions, he takes readers on a journey across the world—from tropical islands and Eastern cities to the deserts of Egypt and forests of Africa. The poet’s imagination is full of wonder as he dreams of visiting these distant, mysterious lands. His desire to see new places and experience different cultures shows his curiosity and love for discovery. The poem beautifully captures a child’s dream of becoming a traveler one day.Q2. How does the poet use imagination to describe different parts of the world?
Ans: Stevenson’s imagination brings to life a variety of scenes from around the world. He imagines golden islands, the Great Wall of China, noisy bazaars, African forests, and ancient Egyptian ruins. Each place is filled with colorful images—animals, people, and sounds—that create a sense of wonder. Even though he has not been to these places, his imagination makes them real and exciting. Through this, the poem celebrates the beauty of the world and the joy of dreaming about travel.Q3. What lesson or message does the poem convey?
Ans: The poem teaches us to dream big and stay curious about the world around us. It encourages readers to explore, learn, and experience the wonders of different lands and cultures. Stevenson shows that even if one cannot travel physically, imagination can take us anywhere. The poem inspires a sense of adventure and reminds us that the world is full of beauty and mystery waiting to be discovered.⭐👉English Poems Analysis Hub– A to Z Index (Main Page)👈⭐
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